I was so excited to read book one in the new Savvy Summers Mysteries series.
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku was a wonderful debut mystery.
A cozy, fun escape with charming characters, a murder mystery twist and amazing story.
This is a perfect read for fans of cozy mysteries who want something with a little more soul and substance.
I’m so glad I had the chance to read this—it was intriguing, quirky, and the kind of story that lingers long after the final reveal.

This was a solid book. I thought the mystery took a little bit to set up, but it was good to meet the characters and how they interacted. I think there were plenty of breadcrumbs throughout the book - but I did feel a little miffed about how I "was told" some information about the main character Savvy. It felt like the book didn't want me to know everything about her in the beginning, as if it would have changed how I felt about her? But maybe the idea was to make an older main character more relatable with not sharing all of their life experiences up front? Regardless, Savvy is an intriguing character, and I'm sure she'll do more great things.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC!

This is an interesting book with Savvy Summers a dynamic character who knows that her pies could not have been the cause of anyone dying. Here is what I loved about this book. The voice is authentic and the characters are lively. The mystery however and pacing made it harder for me to get engaged. This book had a lot of areas where it dragged and Savvy seemed to really be digging to find out anything to keep the investigation moving forward.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Savvy Summers is the proud owner and head chef of Chicagoland’s finest soul food cafe. Popularly known as Essie’s, her restaurant has defied the odds and stayed in the black for all seven years of its existence, while serving both traditional dishes and items with a more modern twist.

Needless to say, Essie’s is also popular for catering orders. Unfortunately, their latest gig, serving a buffet for the fiftieth wedding anniversary of Mattie and Grandy Jaspers, is a mess almost from the start. The cake that Mattie ordered from the baker who views herself as Savvy’s rival is dropped by the deliveryperson, forcing Savvy to quickly whip up some sweet potato pies in lieu. The party itself swiftly goes south when Grandy’s latest conquest insists on hogging the spotlight, finally prompting Mattie to give her unfaithful husband a piece of her mind and storm out before paying Savvy’s catering bill.

Savvy’s backgrounds in both the restaurant business and in teaching have prepared her to deal with all sorts of people and situations, but even she is taken aback when a clearly distressed Grandy shows up on her cafe’s doorstep nearly half an hour before opening the next morning. Despite the protests of her sous-chef Penny Porter Lopes, she lets him in for the early breakfast he very clearly needs. No good deed goes unpunished, however, as Grandy keels over at Table Two shortly after she’s fed him a sample of her new sweet potato pie recipe.

Essie’s reputation understandably takes a hit, even though the coroner determines that Grandy merely suffered a heart attack and that Savvy’s food had nothing to do with his demise. But Savvy herself isn’t so sure that there wasn’t some sort of foul play involved. Grandy had clearly been out of sorts, and a lot of sketchy characters keep poking around as Savvy tries to help Mattie get through her grief. Will what Savvy discovers about Grandy’s death, however, put her in the crosshairs of a killer herself?

I adored this series debut, that realistically portrays Black people, communities and mores in the Chicagoland area. Savvy is a terrific amateur sleuth, and her interactions with both suspects and her allies were engaging and fun to read. I’m excited that this is only the first in a series, especially given the developments at the end of the book. I can’t wait to read more!

There were six food and drink recipes included in the back, and I decided to try this one:

QUOTE
Aunt Essie’s Sweet Potato Pie

One pie shell (store-bought or homemade)
3 large or 4 medium sweet potatoes
½ stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup whipping cream (½ cup reserved for garnish)
1 tablespoon each: nutmeg, cinnamon, freshly squeezed lemon juice, vanilla
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Prick the dough with airholes, then prebake the pie shell in a 350°-oven for 8-10 minutes, then set aside. Puncture the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, then bake at 375° for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until fork-tender. After the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, peel and mash them with a large fork or potato masher. The mash shouldn’t be lumpy, but should still have a little texture. Beat the eggs slightly, then add to the mixture. Stir in butter, sugar, ½ cup cream, lemon juice, and spices. Transfer to prebaked shell and shimmy slightly to settle. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes until set. Let cool for 20-30 minutes, then slice and serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
END QUOTE

I am definitely more of a pumpkin pie kind of person, as sweet potatoes in my household are usually served as a sweet and savory side instead of as a dessert. So I was excited to try out an authentic sweet potato pie recipe, even if I did think that the amount of sweet potato required was too much for one store-bought pie crust. The extra filling didn’t go to waste though, as I wound up making a tasty quickbread with the leftovers.

This is a very nutmeg forward recipe, which I personally enjoyed. I would recommend baking the sweet potatoes at a temperature closer to 400° to make it easier to mash them down to a smooth filling though. I would also recommend letting this pie sit for far longer than 30 minutes. I had a slice at that time and felt it was a little too runny still. It set up really nicely when allowed to sit overnight, however, and was delicious with freshly whipped cream.

Next week, we investigate a mysterious cookbook author around whom rumors of murder swirl, while baking up one of her signature savory dishes. Do join me!

The premise of this one looked so fun! Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. It was a bit too dialogue heavy for my taste, and I struggled to get into it.

When a customer dies in Savvy Summers’ soul food café on the south side of Chicago, she and her assistant must solve the murder to save her business and reputation.

This audiobook is fantastic. The narrator is fantastic, perfectly capturing the voice and tone of the book. The plot is compelling from the start, with a fast pace and an intriguing cast of well-developed characters. Savvy is a relatable and clever amateur sleuth, one I enjoyed spending time with. The book is witty and fun—I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to Sandra Jackson-Opoku, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy mystery set in Chicago’s south side was such a fun and funny read! I love a good whodunnit murder mystery, and Savvy Summers really scratched that itch for me! The characters in this book are so realistic and likable (and the unlikeable ones were also SO well done - I love a good villain!), and the banter between them, especially Savvy and Penny was hilarious and funny to follow. I was guessing who the killer was right up until the end of the book, and I definitely didn’t see the ending twist coming.

This book is genuinely a good time read from start to finish. I love all of the little moments of foreshadowing that Sandra included, and I’m really excited to try some of the recipes she included at the back of the book! I definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of cozy mysteries, soul food, and good banter!

This debut murder mystery centers around Savvy Summers and her cafe, Essie's soul food café, where a patron dies. Savvy is intent on clearing her name of any wrongdoing, and finding the murderer. This is the first book in the series. I did feel that the timing was a bit slow, and some of the characters felt a bit flat for me, but it did have a good mystery, and there are recipes in the back for all of those people who enjoy that. Overall, this is a 3.3 rounded up to a 4.

I thoroughly enjoyed Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku. It is (hopefully) the first book in a cozy mystery series set in the South Side of Chicago. Savvy and her assistant manager, Penny Lopés set out to solve a couple of murders that are affiliated with her soul food café. I absolutely loved the quirky characters and all the references to food. Recipes are included at the end of the book.

I read part of the book and listened to part of the book. Karen Chilton did a fantastic job bringing all of the characters to life.

Synopsis:
When Savvy Summers first opened Essie's soul food café, she never expected her customer-favorite sweet potato pie to become the center of a murder investigation. But when Grandy Jaspers, the 75-year-old neighborhood womanizer, drops dead at table two, she suddenly has more to worry about than just maintaining Essie's reputation for the finest soul food in the Chicagoland area.

Even as the police deem Grandy’s death an accident, Savvy quickly finds herself—and her beloved café—in the middle of an entire city’s worth of bad press. Desperate to clear her name and keep her business afloat, Savvy and her snooping assistant manager, Penny Lopés, take it upon themselves to find who really killed Grandy.

But with a slimy investor harassing her to sell her name and business, customers avoiding her sweet potato pie like the plague, and her police sergeant ex-husband suddenly back in the picture, will Savvy be able to clear the café’s name and solve Grandy’s murder before it all falls apart?

After all, while Savvy always said her sweet potato pie was to die for, she never meant literally.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital copy of the book and the audiobook. Publication date is July 29, 2025

3.5 stars. I struggled getting into this book to start with. It just wasn't holding my attention all that well, but it did get better as it went along. The book is a cozy mystery set around a woman, Savvy Summers, and her soul food cafe. It had a lot of characters and many of them were hard to feel anything for, but it is a mystery where you are meant to suspect people of murder. Most of the characters are of the "in your face" type--very upfront about what they want and feel.

I did end up liking this book. It won't rank up there at the top of my list, but it was entertaining!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a fun, mysterious cozy mystery! The cast of characters was great, and I loved trying to guess who it was! I would definitely read more of this authors books!

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is the first book in the Savvy Summers Mystery Series by Sandra Jackson-Opoku. The amateur sleuth is Sapphire (Savvy) Summers, the proprietor of Essie's soul food cafe on the south side of Chicago.

Savvy and her infamous sweet potato pie end up at the center of a murder mystery when one of her customers (the 75-year-old neighborhood womanizer) drops dead in her cafe. To clear her name and protect the reputation of her cafe, Savvy starts sleuthing.

I am a huge fan of culinary cozy mysteries. It is my favorite cozy subgenre, so I always look forward to starting a new series that centers around food. I particularly like it when the food is lovingly described and when there are several tasty recipes included at the end of the book. Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes delivers in both of these areas.

Savvy is a solid protagonist. She is a strong female character with a healthy dose of sass and wit. She is supported in her investigation by a snoopy assistant (Penny) and her police officer ex-husband (Fanon).

The setting and the murder weapon are both unique. This is the first time I have seen either one of them in a cozy mystery. The cast is also more diverse than the average cozy cast. All of these things help the book stand out in a crowded field of culinary cozies.

I'm looking forward to trying the recipes from the book. I'd also like to give the audio version of this a try. It is narrated by Karen Chilton, an experienced and award-winning audiobook narrator.

Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Savvy, a fabulous character full of spunk and determination, is a great start to what I hope will be a series. She honors her great aunt Essie’s memory through her food and epithets. The mystery was intriguing and satisfyingly resolved. As an added bonus, the author shares recipes from the book as well as a list of her great aunt’s epithets.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku is a classic whodunnit mystery novel centered around Sapphire (Savvy) Summers and her soul food cafe in Chicago. Things go awry when Savvy's infamous sweet potato pie ends up at the forefront of a murder investigation.

One thing for sure is that you can't deny Savvy's instinct for sniffing out the truth. Such negative press surrounding the investigation proved to be bad for business. With a plethora of suspects and multiple motives, this book proves to be an interesting read as you try to find out who the real murderer is.

I love a good murder mystery story because I can never guess correctly on who commited the crime.

Add this to your TBR if you like:
- a strong Black female lead
-amateur sleuthing and cozy mysteries
-Southern setting and cultural flavor

After reading this book, I am in the mood for some good sweet potato pie!

PS: Sweet Potato Pie > Pumpkin Pie

This is the first cozy mystery in a possible series set on the south side of Chicago. The book description doesn’t cover the complexity of the storyline surrounding Grandy Jaspers. The police don’t think that Grandy’s death is murder or the further death that follows.
There is a large cast of people to meet and keep track of. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator does a good job with the culture of the south side of Chicago.
This book felt long. Savvy keeps looking into things even when there is no real evidence that the deaths were murder. There is little to go on until the climax of the story reveals the culprit.
This is a very different sort of mystery than I’m used to. I didn’t really connect with the characters. I did have enough curiosity about the outcome to finish the book, but I’m not sure that I would pick up the next if this is a series.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

Readers who love cozy mysteries with a culinary theme will be overjoyed to discover this book, the first in what looks to be a series (we hope!) The setting is the great city of Chicago, specifically the South Side, where Savvy Summers is in the process of fulfilling her dream, which is opening and running Essies, a soul food cafe. Savvy has poured everything into her restaurant, and takes particular pride in her famous Sweet Potato Pie. But when a particularly obnoxious customer dies after eating a piece, Savvy finds her culinary reputation in tatters, and her restaurant in jeopardy. She needs to clear her name, but its not easy. It seems a lot of shady characters are out to get her, and her restaurant. This new series definitely checks all the boxes for cozy readers -- relatable main character, colorful secondary characters, a fascinating setting, and a well paced plot. There's plenty of food talk and cooking going on too. I look forward to recommending this title.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is a cozy mystery from Sandra Jackson-Opoku

"A longtime regular drops dead in Savvy's soul-food cafe and suddenly her sweet potato pie is supposed to be killing people. A shady businessman keeps harassing her to sell her business. (He was there that morning) Did he poison Grandy? With so much negative publicity can Savvy find answers and save her business?"

There are lots of fun characters in this story. Lots of big personalities. And some hilarious interactions especially at the anniversary party and funeral.
I was pulling for Savvy to find answers and keep her cafe growing and successful. The ending will surprise you.

Jackson-Opoku also includes several recipes at the end if you want to try cooking some of Savvy's signature dishes, including her Sweet Potato Pie.

Fun story from Jackson-Opoku.

I went into this story expecting a cozy mystery, but I’d say it leaned more toward a sassy, spicy whodunit — so heads up: there’s swearing, some sexually suggestive content, and a bit more edge than your typical cozy.

The story is packed with mouthwatering descriptions of Southern dishes that had me craving sweet potatoes and soul food the whole way through. It added such a warm, flavorful layer to the mystery.

"Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes" definitely feels like a classic cozy mystery... but also like it doesn't necessarily *want* to be cozy. While the book features a lot of genre standards—food-centered establishment and main character, odd food-adjacent deaths, quirky side sleuth, kooky suspects, light romantic subplot—I just felt like it was taking itself too seriously rather than fully leaning into the wackiness. As a result, the book lands in a kind of limbo where I didn't know if I should be on the edge of my seat or firmly in the back of my recliner.

Savvy Summers is a likable enough protagonist—though her constant platitudes do get a little exhausting—but the rest of the cast is kind of flat and annoying for the most part. They fill their designated roles in the story, but none of them are really presented with much nuance (except perhaps Detective Emerson Jacobs?!). The dialogue certainly had the right amount of cheese for a cozy mystery, but again felt out of place in a book that didn't want to be cheesy. And though the culprit reveal was satisfying, the final "Savvy's in trouble" scene was almost laughably unbelievable to me.

But I will say, the plot moved at a fast pace that kept me engaged and reading, and the mystery was curious enough to propel me to the end within just three days of cracking the cover. An ok read that wasn't particularly memorable as either a cozy or standard mystery. 2.5/5 stars, rounded up.

[Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an advance reader copy of this book!]

4/5 stars: This is the first entry in Jackson-Opoku's Savvy Summers series, which is a BIPOC Culinary Cozy Mystery set in Chicago Illinois and follows a widowed retired educator turned soul food cafe owner and caterer who finds herself turning sleuth in order to clear her name and keep her business afloat after the 75-year-old neighborhood womanizer drops dead in her cafe after eating her famous sweet potato pie. Teaming up with her snooping assistant manager, she has to investigate way too many suspects, all the while dealing with a slimy investor and her police sergeant ex-husband suddenly back in the picture. Will she be able to clear the cafe’s name and solve the murder before the killer strikes again? With plenty of twists and turns, Jackson-Opoku has crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Jackson-Opoku's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining likable. Savvy's a definite character and it's a joy meeting her, her friends and family, customers and employees at Essie's Place and get to know the charming folks of the Woodlawn area of Chicago's South Side. I especially enjoyed all of Savvy's late Great-Aunt Essie's epithets and colorful southern sayings. And let's just say the food descriptions throughout are to die for and will leave you hungry to try one of the absolutely delicious sounding included recipes! A fun start to a new series, I look forward to reading more.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.